Nucleic Acids and the RNA World

Flashcards covering key terminology related to Nucleic Acids and the RNA World, including structures, functions, and hypotheses.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers made up of nucleotide monomers, which are composed of a 5-carbon sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, an activated nucleotide that stores and releases energy through the hydrolysis of phosphate bonds.

Nucleotide

The basic building block of nucleic acids, consisting of a 5-carbon sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base.

Purine

A type of nitrogenous base that has a two-ring structure; examples include adenine and guanine.

Pyrimidine

A type of nitrogenous base that has a single-ring structure; examples include cytosine, thymine, and uracil.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak bonds that form between complementary nitrogenous bases in DNA, crucial for the double helix structure.

Antiparallel Strands

The opposite orientation of the two strands of DNA, running in opposite directions (5' to 3' and 3' to 5').

Phosphodiester Linkage

The bond that connects adjacent nucleotides in a nucleic acid chain via the phosphate group and the sugar.

RNA World Hypothesis

The theory suggesting that early life was based on ribonucleic acid (RNA) and that RNA was both an information carrier and a catalyst.

Template Strand

The strand of DNA or RNA that serves as a guide for the synthesis of a complementary strand during replication or transcription.

Ribozyme

A catalytic RNA molecule that can help catalyze biochemical reactions, including its own synthesis.

Double Helix

The structure of DNA, characterized by two strands of nucleotides twisted around each other, stabilized by hydrogen bonds.

Base Pairing

The specific pairing between nitrogenous bases adenine-thymine (A-T) and guanine-cytosine (G-C), crucial in DNA structure.

DNA Replication

The process by which DNA makes a copy of itself, involving strand separation, base pairing, and polymerization.

RNA Secondary Structure

The structure formed by interactions between nucleotides in a single strand of RNA, such as loops and stems.

Tertiary RNA Structure

The three-dimensional shape of an RNA molecule formed by further folding and bonding of secondary structures.

Deoxyribose

The 5-carbon sugar found in DNA, lacking one oxygen atom compared to ribose, the sugar in RNA.